Officers with the Cary Police Department were called to the 200 block of Trent Woods Way off Park Village Drive after 74-year-old Aleksander "Lenny" Wysocki was found in his side yard around 8:45 a.m.
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Wysocki was taken to Duke University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
"A full investigation is underway, and our thoughts are with Mr. Wysocki's family, friends and loved ones," said Criminal Investigations Division Captain Don Hamilton.
Neighbor Christopher Griggs said he heard something unusual just after 8 a.m.
"Just a loud noise. I didn't think it was a gunshot necessarily," said Griggs. "Nobody would have thought. It's a quiet neighborhood. Nothing like that has ever gone down here and it's sort of a surprise for a lot of us I think."
Griggs didn't really know Wysocki well -- just that a woman lived with him in the home.
"We've exchanged waves and hellos through the years but nothing personal," said Griggs.
Another neighbor told ABC11 that there was a man walking through the neighborhood around the time of the shooting, and he later got into a black vehicle and drove off. There's no word from police if there's a connection.
Late Friday night, Cary police issued warrants for the arrest of 43-year-old Eric Paul Engel, of Durham, New Hampshire.
Officials believe Engel shot and killed Wysocki.
Police tracked Engel to Florida, where he is believed to have committed suicide. Cary officials are working with the Florida medical examiners to confirm Engel is the man who committed suicide. Engel was a former family friend.
"At this point we feel confident that there is an end to the Wysocki tragedy," said Hamilton. "As we said earlier, we did not believe this was a random act, and based on evidence we cannot disclose at this point we are confident Engel is the man who shot Wysocki."
The Marion County Sheriff's Office says Cary police contacted them about Engel Friday. Engel had allegedly contacted a family member and confessed to the murder of Wysocki and was held up at the Anglers Resort in the City of Dunnellon, Florida.
The Dunnellon Police Department, along with the Marion County Sheriff's Office SWAT team coordinated efforts and surrounded Engle's room at the resort.
Authorities say contact was made with Engle by phone and he was encouraged to come outside and surrender peacefully; however, he stayed inside his room where a short time later he took his own life.
Engel's black Jeep was taken in as evidence. Police believe he was a former family friend of Wysocki.
Engel is listed as a communications professor on the University of New Hampshire's website.
The Cary Police Department is still waiting for official confirmation from the Florida medical examiners.
Anyone near the area during the time of the murder is encouraged to contact the Town of Cary Police Department at (919) 469-4012 or file a report anonymously with Cary Crime Stoppers at (919) 460-4636.
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